To be (funny) or not to be

Humor does have a place in public speaking, but not everyone knows how or when to be funny.

A young minister of my acquaintance was invited to conduct a series of Bible study sessions at a men's prison. After his first visit, the warden invited him to have lunch with the prisoners. It was customary for lunch to be followed by a thirty-minute entertainment period. On this particular day, one of the prisoners rose and called out loudly, ''Number 37.'' The room erupted in laughter.